Galactic Bar Research Articles

Effect of orbital trapping by bar resonances in the local U–V velocity field

ABSTRACT The effects in the local U–V velocity field due to orbital trapping by bar resonances have been studied computing 15 resonant families in a non-axisymmetric Galactic potential, considering the bar’s angular velocity between 35 and 57.5 ${\rm \, km\, s^{-1}{kpc}^{-1}}$. Only cases in the low, 37.5, 40 ${\rm \, km\, s^{-1}{kpc}^{-1}}$, and high, 55, 57.5 ${\rm \, km\, s^{-1}{kpc}^{-1}}$, velocity ranges give trapping structures that have some similarity with observed features in the velocity distribution. The resulting structures in the local U–V plane form resonant bands appearing at various levels in velocity V. Cases with angular velocity 40 and 55 ${\rm \, km\, s^{-1}{kpc}^{-1}}$ show the greatest similarity with observed branches. Our best approximation to the local velocity field by orbital trapping is obtained with a bar angular velocity of 40 ${\rm \, km\, s^{-1}{kpc}^{-1}}$ and a bar angle of 40°. With this solution, three main observed features can be approximated: (i) the Hercules branch at V = $-50\, {\rm \, km\, s^{-1}}$ produced by the resonance 8/1 outside corotation, and the close features produced by resonances 5/1 and 6/1, (ii) the newly detected low-density arch at V ≃ 40 ${\rm \, km\, s^{-1}}$ produced approximately by the resonance 4/3, (iii) the inclined structure below the Hercules branch, also observed in the Gaia DR2 data, produced by tube orbits around Lagrange point L5 at corotation. Some predicted contributions due to orbital trapping in regions of the U–V plane corresponding to the Galactic halo are given, which could help to further restrict the value of the angular velocity of the Galactic bar. No support by orbital trapping is found for the Arcturus stream at V$\approx \, -100\, {\rm \, km\, s^{-1}}$.

Revisiting the tension between fast bars and the ΛCDM paradigm

The pattern speed with which galactic bars rotate is intimately linked to the amount of dark matter in the inner regions of their host galaxies. In particular, dark matter haloes act to slow down bars via torques exerted through dynamical friction. Observational studies of barred galaxies tend to find that bars rotate fast, while hydrodynamical cosmological simulations of galaxy formation and evolution in the Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) framework have previously found that bars slow down excessively. This has led to a growing tension between fast bars and the ΛCDM cosmological paradigm. In this study we revisit this issue, using the Auriga suite of high-resolution, magneto-hydrodynamical cosmological zoom-in simulations of galaxy formation and evolution in the ΛCDM framework, finding that bars remain fast down to z = 0. In Auriga, bars form in galaxies that have higher stellar-to-dark matter ratios and are more baryon-dominated than in previous cosmological simulations; this suggests that in order for bars to remain fast, massive spiral galaxies must lie above the commonly used abundance matching relation. While this reduces the aforementioned tension between the rotation speed of bars and ΛCDM, it accentuates the recently reported discrepancy between the dynamically inferred stellar-to-dark matter ratios of massive spirals and those inferred from abundance matching. Our results highlight the potential of using bar dynamics to constrain models of galaxy formation and evolution.

Tree-ring structure of Galactic bar resonance

ABSTRACT Galaxy models have long predicted that galactic bars slow down by losing angular momentum to their postulated dark haloes. When the bar slows down, resonance sweeps radially outwards through the galactic disc while growing in volume, thereby sequentially capturing new stars at its surface/separatrix. Since trapped stars conserve their action of libration, which measures the relative distance to the resonance centre, the order of capturing is preserved: the surface of the resonance is dominated by stars captured recently at large radius, while the core of the resonance is occupied by stars trapped early at small radius. The slow down of the bar thus results in a rising mean metallicity of trapped stars from the surface towards the centre of the resonance as the Galaxy’s metallicity declines towards large radii. This argument, when applied to Solar neighbourhood stars, allows a novel precision measurement of the bar’s current pattern speed $\Omega _{\rm p}= 35.5 \pm 0.8 \, {\rm km}\, {\rm s}^{-1}\, {\rm kpc}^{-1}$, placing the corotation radius at $R_{\rm CR}= 6.6 \pm 0.2 \, {\rm kpc}$. With this pattern speed, the corotation resonance precisely fits the Hercules stream in agreement with kinematics. Beyond corroborating the slow bar theory, this measurement manifests the deceleration of the bar of more than $24{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ since its formation and thus the angular momentum transfer to the dark halo by dynamical friction. The measurement therefore supports the existence of a standard dark-matter halo rather than alternative models of gravity.

The Planck Submillimeter Properties of Galactic High-mass Star-forming Regions: Dust Temperatures, Luminosities, Masses, and Star Formation Efficiency

Abstract Massive star formation occurs in the interior of giant molecular clouds and proceeds through many stages. In this work, we focus on massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and ultracompact H ii regions (UCH ii), where the former are enshrouded in dense envelopes of dust and gas, the latter of which has begun dispersing. By selecting a complete sample of MYSOs and UCH ii from the Red MSX Source (RMS) survey database, we combine Planck and IRAS data and build their spectral energy distributions. With these, we estimate the physical properties (dust temperatures, mass, luminosity) of the sample. Because the RMS database provides unique solar distances, it also allows the instantaneous star formation efficiency (SFE) to be investigated as a function of Galactocentric radius. We find that the SFE increases between 2 and 4.5 kpc, where it reaches a peak, likely in correspondence with the accumulation of molecular material at the end of the Galactic bar. It then stays approximately constant up to 9 kpc, after which it linearly declines, in agreement with predictions from extragalactic studies. This behavior suggests the presence of a significant amount of undetected molecular gas at R G > 8 kpc. Finally, we present diagnostic colors that can be used to identify sites of massive star formation.

Barred spiral galaxies in modified gravity theories

ABSTRACT When bars form within galaxy formation simulations in the standard cosmological context, dynamical friction with dark matter (DM) causes them to rotate rather slowly. However, almost all observed galactic bars are fast in terms of the ratio between corotation radius and bar length. Here, we explicitly display an 8σ tension between the observed distribution of this ratio and that in the EAGLE simulation at redshift 0. We also compare the evolution of Newtonian galactic discs embedded in DM haloes to their evolution in three extended gravity theories: Milgromian Dynamics (MOND), a model of non-local gravity, and a scalar–tensor–vector gravity theory (MOG). Although our models start with the same initial baryonic distribution and rotation curve, the long-term evolution is different. The bar instability happens more violently in MOND compared to the other models. There are some common features between the extended gravity models, in particular the negligible role played by dynamical friction − which plays a key role in the DM model. Partly for this reason, all extended gravity models predict weaker bars and faster bar pattern speeds compared to the DM case. Although the absence of strong bars in our idealized, isolated extended gravity simulations is in tension with observations, they reproduce the strong observational preference for ‘fast’ bar pattern speeds, which we could not do with DM. We confirm previous findings that apparently ‘ultrafast’ bars can be due to bar-spiral arm alignment leading to an overestimated bar length, especially in extended gravity scenarios where the bar is already fast.

Edge-on boxes with X-features as parts of galactic bars

Context. This paper is a contribution to the discussion about whether the X/peanut component is part of the bar, or the bar itself. Aims. Our goal is to present a clear-cut case of a barred-spiral galaxy in which all structural components (i.e. the thick and thin part of the bar and the spiral arms) can be observed in its image and their dimensions directly measured there. Methods. We obtained deep images of the nearby galaxy NGC 352, which has an ideal inclination allowing us to observe all of the parts that compose its morphology, estimate their relative sizes, and determine the topology of the luminous matter of this galaxy. We successfully compare our findings with the existence and the relative dimensions of the corresponding components encountered in the disc of a GADGET N-body model. Results. NGC 352 is a barred spiral galaxy with a bar of about 13 kpc radius. Its bar has a central thick part that extends up to a distance about 5 kpc from the centre of the galaxy along its major axis, while its thickness reaches a height of 3.8 kpc. Thus, the thick part of the bar occupies the central part of the bar component, and its length is about 40% of that of the thin bar. The branches of the X-feature are characterised by the presence of ‘hooks’ at their extremities. The profile along the major axis of the bar is characterised by the presence of ‘shoulders’, the end of which is associated with local surface brightness enhancements on the equatorial plane. A central disc with a spiral-like feature embedded in it dominates in the innermost 1.7 kpc. Conclusions. NGC 352 offers a case in which we directly observe that the X/peanut component is unambiguously part of the bar. This boxy structure is neither a separate bulge component nor the bar itself. The relative extent of the peanut with respect to the bar is well inside the range predicted in the majority of the simulated N-body bars. The hooks of the X-feature and the local surface brightness enhancements on the equatorial plane have their counterparts in surface density features of models based on the orbital theory, as well as of models based on response calculations and of fully selfconsistent N-body calculations.

Trigonometric Parallaxes of Four Star-forming Regions in the Distant Inner Galaxy

Abstract We have measured trigonometric parallaxes for four H2O masers associated with distant massive young stars in the inner regions of the Galaxy using the Very Long Baseline Array as part of the BeSSeL Survey. G026.50 + 0.28 is located at the near end of the Galactic bar, perhaps at the origin of the Norma spiral arm. G020.77−0.05 is in the Galactic Center region and is likely associated with a far-side extension of the Scutum arm. G019.60−0.23 and G020.08−0.13 are likely associated and lie well past the Galactic Center. These sources appear to be in the Sagittarius spiral arm, but an association with the Perseus arm cannot be ruled out.

Understanding the Velocity Distribution of the Galactic Bulge with APOGEE and Gaia

Abstract We revisit the stellar velocity distribution in the Galactic bulge/bar region with Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment DR16 and Gaia DR2, focusing in particular on the possible high-velocity (HV) peaks and their physical origin. We fit the velocity distributions with two different models, namely with Gauss–Hermite polynomials and Gaussian mixture models (GMMs). The result of the fit using Gauss–Hermite polynomials reveals a positive correlation between the mean velocity ( ) and the “skewness” (h 3) of the velocity distribution, possibly caused by the Galactic bar. The n = 2 GMM fitting reveals a symmetric longitudinal trend of ∣μ 2∣ and σ 2 (the mean velocity and the standard deviation of the secondary component), which is inconsistent with the x 2 orbital family predictions. Cold secondary peaks could be seen at ∣l∣ ∼ 6°. However, with the additional tangential information from Gaia, we find that the HV stars in the bulge show similar patterns in the radial–tangential velocity distribution (V R–V T), regardless of the existence of a distinct cold HV peak. The observed V R–V T (or V GSR–μ l ) distributions are consistent with the predictions of a simple Milky Way bar model. The chemical abundances and ages inferred from ASPCAP and CANNON suggest that the HV stars in the bulge/bar are generally as old as, if not older than, the other stars in the bulge/bar region.

New Formulas and Mechanism for the Spiral Arm Formation of Galaxies

A rotating double-side sprinkle emission model is proposed to describe mechanism for the spiral arm formation of galaxies and various types of spiral patterns. The spiral galaxy can be treated as an ideal fluid system with a universal flat rotation curve; a rotating black hole is located at the center of the galaxy with rotating axis perpendicular to the galactic disc. Inside the black hole, the matter is transformed into new type of matter with anti-gravitational property and emitted by the black hole through two opposite directions in the galactic rotating plane similar to the lighthouse beams, it is then converted to non-gravitational matter. The new matter moves in straightly confined route for certain distance, and then it moves freely with its momentum combining the fluid rotation of the galaxy. The new matter will be transformed to hydrogens on its way of motion, increases the local hydrogen density, refuels the local stars and promotes young star formation, the luminosity of the area is temporarily enhanced, brighter than other areas, such enhanced luminosity area is what seen as the galactic bar and spiral arms. New formulas with one parameter and one variable are derived in three different cases. Different categories of theoretical spiral patterns have been produced and various real images of the spiral galaxies have been precisely simulated by the new formulas. This model seems a universal model and can be applied to most (if not all) spiral galaxies. Galaxies with special spiral patterns like Hoag’s object and arms not meeting the end of galactic bars can be naturally explained by this model. This model is the first attempt to think the spiral arm formation with the hydrogen originated from inside of the galactic center to outside. The proposed mechanism of the hydrogen production seems highly speculative, but the result of the simulations is very satisfactory, this indicates that the idea for the hydrogens originated from inside the bar is a promising approach, may lead us to re-think about the property of the black holes and hope to serve as a trigger to promote the future research in this direction.

The Flat Rotation Curve of the Spiral Galaxies may be the Result of the Perfect Combination of the Fluid Mechanics and the Gravitational Mechanics

A new hypothesis is proposed to explain the flat rotation curve of the spiral galaxies. The spiral galaxies can be treated as ideal fluid systems. For Milky Way, the mass density is constant within the radius of 0.65 kpc in the central portion of the bugle and results the linear relationship between the rotation velocity and the distance to the galactic center. The rotation of the spiral galaxies is driven by the central galactic bars and follows both fluid mechanics and gravitational mechanics, the flat rotation curve of the spiral galaxies is the result of the perfect combination of the fluid mechanics and the gravitational mechanics, the nature has balanced itself very well, the mass density distribution indirectly extracted from NASA’s near-infrared image of the Milky Way seems matching the hypothesis. Therefore, the “dark matter” could be unnecessary for the purpose of adding additional gravitational matter, but this does not deny the possible existence of the proposed dark matter in the universe. The feature of the flat rotation curve could be established during the formation of the galaxies from vast clouds of gas and dust, then, is maintained by gravitational force among those celestial objects, gases and interstellar medium, and such gravitational force acts as a binding force and fluid viscosity. After galactic merging, the combination of the fluid mechanics and gravitational mechanics is the only way to restore the galaxies into nice symmetric disk-like morphology with flat feature of the rotation curve after enough evolution time. The super black holes in the centers of the galaxies could be the rotation engines for whole rotation of galaxies. This model may not be perfect and could be improved in the future.

Double X/Peanut structures in barred galaxies – insights from an N-body simulation

ABSTRACT Boxy, peanut-, or X-shaped ‘bulges’ are observed in a large fraction of barred galaxies viewed in, or close to, edge-on projection, as well as in the Milky Way. They are the product of dynamical instabilities occurring in stellar bars, which cause the latter to buckle and thicken vertically. Recent studies have found nearby galaxies that harbour two such features arising at different radial scales, in a nested configuration. In this paper, we explore the formation of such double peanuts, using a collisionless N-body simulation of a pure disc evolving in isolation within a live dark matter halo, which we analyse in a completely analogous way to observations of real galaxies. In the simulation, we find a stable double configuration consisting of two X/peanut structures associated with the same galactic bar – rotating with the same pattern speed – but with different morphology, formation time, and evolution. The inner, conventional peanut-shaped structure forms early via the buckling of the bar, and experiences little evolution once it stabilizes. This feature is consistent in terms of size, strength, and morphology, with peanut structures observed in nearby galaxies. The outer structure, however, displays a strong X, or ‘bow-tie’, morphology. It forms just after the inner peanut, and gradually extends in time (within 1–1.5 Gyr) to almost the end of the bar, a radial scale where ansae occur. We conclude that, although both structures form, and are dynamically coupled to, the same bar, they are supported by inherently different mechanisms.

Do galactic bars depend on environment?: an information theoretic analysis of Galaxy Zoo 2

ABSTRACT We use an information theoretic framework to analyse data from the Galaxy Zoo 2 project and study if there are any statistically significant correlations between the presence of bars in spiral galaxies and their environment. We measure the mutual information between the barredness of galaxies and their environments in a volume limited sample (Mr ≤ −21) and compare it with the same in data sets where (i) the bar/unbar classifications are randomized and (ii) the spatial distribution of galaxies are shuffled on different length scales. We assess the statistical significance of the differences in the mutual information using a t-test and find that both randomization of morphological classifications and shuffling of spatial distribution do not alter the mutual information in a statistically significant way. The non-zero mutual information between the barredness and environment arises due to the finite and discrete nature of the data set that can be entirely explained by mock Poisson distributions. We also separately compare the cumulative distribution functions of the barred and unbarred galaxies as a function of their local density. Using a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, we find that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected even at $75{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ confidence level. Our analysis indicates that environments do not play a significant role in the formation of a bar, which is largely determined by the internal processes of the host galaxy.

Distribution of star formation in galactic bars as seen with Hαand stacked GALEX UV imaging

Context.Stellar bars are known to gradually funnel gas to the central parts of disk galaxies. It remains a matter of debate why the distribution of ionized gas along bars and in the circumnuclear regions varies among galaxies.Aims.Our goal is to investigate the spatial distribution of star formation (SF) within bars of nearby low-inclination disk galaxies (i < 65°) from the S4G survey. We aim to link the loci of SF to global properties of the hosts (morphological type, stellar mass, gas fraction, and bar-induced gravitational torques), providing constraints for the conditions that regulate SF in bars.Methods.We use archival GALEX far- and near-UV imaging for 772 barred galaxies, and for a control sample of 423 non-barred galaxies. We also assemble a compilation of continuum-subtracted Hαimages for 433 barred galaxies, 70 of which we produced from ancillary photometry and MUSE and CALIFA integral field unit data cubes. We employ two complementary approaches: (i) the analysis of bar (2D) and disk (1D) stacks built from co-added UV images (oriented and scaled with respect to the stellar bars and the extent of disks) of hundreds of galaxies that are binned based on their Hubble stage (T) and bar family; and (ii) the visual classification of the morphology of ionized regions (traced from Hαand UV data) in individual galaxies into three main SF classes: (A) only circumnuclear SF; (B) SF at the bar ends, but not along the bar; and (C) SF along the bar. Barred galaxies with active and passive inner rings are likewise classified.Results.Massive, gas-poor, lenticular galaxies typically belong to SF class A; this is probably related to bar-induced quenching of SF in the disk. The distribution of SF class B peaks for early- and intermediate-type spirals; this most likely results from the interplay of gas flow, shocks, and enhanced shear in massive centrally concentrated galaxies with large bar amplitudes (the latter is supported by the lack of a dip in the radial distribution of SF in non-barred galaxies). Late-type gas-rich galaxies with high gravitational torques are mainly assigned to SF class C; we argue that this is a consequence of low shear among the faintest galaxies. In bar stacks of spiral galaxies the UV emission traces the stellar bars and dominates on their leading side, as witnessed in simulations. Among early-type spirals the central UV emission is ∼0.5 mag brighter in strongly barred galaxies, relative to their weakly barred counterparts; this is probably related to the efficiency of strong bars sweeping the disk gas and triggering central starbursts. On the contrary, in later types the UV emission is stronger at all radii in strongly barred galaxies than in weakly barred and non-barred ones. We also show that the distributions of SF in inner-ringed galaxies are broadly the same in barred and non-barred galaxies, including a UV and Hαdeficit in the middle part of the bar; this hints at the effect of resonance rings trapping gas that is no longer funneled inwards.Conclusions.Distinct distributions of SF within bars are reported in galaxies of different morphological types. Star-forming bars are most common among late-type gas-rich galaxies. Bars are important agents in the regulation of SF in disks.

The Milky Way’s bar structural properties from gravitational waves

ABSTRACT The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will enable Galactic gravitational wave (GW) astronomy by individually resolving >104 signals from double white dwarf (DWD) binaries throughout the Milky Way. Since GWs are unaffected by stellar crowding and dust extinction unlike optical observations of the Galactic plane, in this work, we assess for the first time the potential of LISA to map the Galactic stellar bar and spiral arms. To achieve this goal, we combine a realistic population of Galactic DWDs with a high-resolution N-body Galactic simulation in good agreement with current observations of the Milky Way. We then model GW signals from our synthetic DWD population and reconstruct the structure of the simulated Galaxy from mock LISA observations. Our results show that while the low-density contrast between the background disc and the spiral arms hampers our ability to characterize the spiral structure, the stellar bar will clearly appear in the GW map of the bulge. The axial ratio derived from the synthetic observations agrees within 1σ with the reference value, although the scale lengths are underestimated. We also recover the bar viewing angle to within 1° and the bar’s physical length to within 0.2 kpc. This shows that LISA can provide independent constraints on the bar’s structural parameter, competitive compared to those from electromagnetic tracers. We therefore foresee that synergistic use of GWs and electromagnetic tracers will be a powerful strategy to map the Milky Way’s bar and bulge.

Resonance sweeping by a decelerating Galactic bar

ABSTRACT We provide the first quantitative evidence for the deceleration of the Galactic bar from local stellar kinematics in agreement with dynamical friction by a typical dark matter halo. The kinematic response of the stellar disc to a decelerating bar is studied using secular perturbation theory and test particle simulations. We show that the velocity distribution at any point in the disc affected by a naturally slowing bar is qualitatively different from that perturbed by a steadily rotating bar with the same current pattern speed Ωp and amplitude. When the bar slows down, its resonances sweep through phase space, trapping, and dragging along a portion of previously free orbits. This enhances occupation on resonances, but also changes the distribution of stars within the resonance. Due to the accumulation of orbits near the boundary of the resonance, the decelerating bar model reproduces with its corotation resonance the offset and strength of the Hercules stream in the local vR-vφ plane and the double-peaked structure of mean vR in the Lz–φ plane. At resonances other than the corotation, resonant dragging by a slowing bar is associated with a continuing increase in radial action, leading to multiple resonance ridges in the action plane as identified in the Gaia data. This work shows models using a constant bar pattern speed likely lead to qualitatively wrong conclusions. Most importantly we provide a quantitative estimate of the current slowing rate of the bar $\dot{\Omega }_{\rm p}= (-4.5 \pm 1.4) \, {\rm km}\, {\rm s}^{-1}\, {\rm kpc}^{-1}\, {\rm Gyr}^{-1}$ with additional systematic uncertainty arising from unmodelled impacts of e.g. spiral arms.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: the indispensable role of bars in enhancing the central star formation of low-z galaxies

ABSTRACT We analyse two-dimensional maps and radial profiles of EW(Hα), EW(HδA), and Dn(4000) of low-redshift galaxies using integral field spectroscopy from the MaNGA survey. Out of ≈1400 nearly face-on late-type galaxies with a redshift z < 0.05, we identify 121 “turnover” galaxies that each have a central upturn in EW(Hα), EW(HδA), and/or a central drop in Dn(4000), indicative of ongoing/recent star formation. The turnover features are found mostly in galaxies with a stellar mass above ∼1010 M⊙ and NUV – r colour less than ≈5. The majority of the turnover galaxies are barred, with a bar fraction of 89 ± 3 per cent. Furthermore, for barred galaxies, the radius of the central turnover region is found to tightly correlate with one-third of the bar length. Comparing the observed and the inward extrapolated star formation rate surface density, we estimate that the central SFR have been enhanced by an order of magnitude. Conversely, only half of the barred galaxies in our sample have a central turnover feature, implying that the presence of a bar is not sufficient to lead to a central SF enhancement. We further examined the SF enhancement in paired galaxies, as well as the local environment, finding no relation. This implies that the environment is not a driving factor for central SF enhancement in our sample. Our results reinforce both previous findings and theoretical expectation that galactic bars play a crucial role in the secular evolution of galaxies by driving gas inflow and enhancing the star formation and bulge growth in the centre.

Trimodal structure of Hercules stream explained by originating from bar resonances

ABSTRACT Gaia Data Release 2 revealed detailed structures of nearby stars in phase space. These include the Hercules stream, whose origin is still debated. Most of the previous numerical studies conjectured that the observed structures originate from orbits in resonance with the bar, based on static potential models for the Milky Way. We, in contrast, approach the problem via a self-consistent, dynamic, and morphologically well-resolved model, namely a full N-body simulation of the Milky Way. Our simulation comprises about 5.1 billion particles in the galactic stellar bulge, bar, disc, and dark-matter halo and is evolved to 10 Gyr. Our model’s disc component is composed of 200 million particles, and its simulation snapshots are stored every 10 Myr, enabling us to resolve and classify resonant orbits of representative samples of stars. After choosing the Sun’s position in the simulation, we compare the distribution of stars in its neighbourhood with Gaia’s astrometric data, thereby establishing the role of identified resonantly trapped stars in the formation of Hercules-like structures. From our orbital spectral-analysis, we identify multiple, especially higher order resonances. Our results suggest that the Hercules stream is dominated by the 4:1 and 5:1 outer Lindblad and corotation resonances. In total, this yields a trimodal structure of the Hercules stream. From the relation between resonances and ridges in phase space, our model favoured a slow pattern speed of the Milky-Way bar (40–45 $\mathrm{km \, s^{-1} \, kpc^{-1}}$).

The SEDIGISM survey: First Data Release and overview of the Galactic structure

ABSTRACT The SEDIGISM (Structure, Excitation and Dynamics of the Inner Galactic Interstellar Medium) survey used the APEX telescope to map 84 deg2 of the Galactic plane between ℓ = −60° and +31° in several molecular transitions, including 13CO (2 – 1) and C18O (2 – 1), thus probing the moderately dense (∼103 cm−3) component of the interstellar medium. With an angular resolution of 30 arcsec and a typical 1σ sensitivity of 0.8–1.0 K at 0.25 km s−1 velocity resolution, it gives access to a wide range of structures, from individual star-forming clumps to giant molecular clouds and complexes. The coverage includes a good fraction of the first and fourth Galactic quadrants, allowing us to constrain the large-scale distribution of cold molecular gas in the inner Galaxy. In this paper, we provide an updated overview of the full survey and the data reduction procedures used. We also assess the quality of these data and describe the data products that are being made publicly available as part of this First Data Release (DR1). We present integrated maps and position–velocity maps of the molecular gas and use these to investigate the correlation between the molecular gas and the large-scale structural features of the Milky Way such as the spiral arms, Galactic bar and Galactic Centre. We find that approximately 60 per cent of the molecular gas is associated with the spiral arms and these appear as strong intensity peaks in the derived Galactocentric distribution. We also find strong peaks in intensity at specific longitudes that correspond to the Galactic Centre and well-known star-forming complexes, revealing that the 13CO emission is concentrated in a small number of complexes rather than evenly distributed along spiral arms.

FEDReD

Context.WhileGaiaenables us to probe the extended local neighbourhood in great detail, the thin disc structure at larger distances remains sparsely explored.Aims.We aim here to build a non-parametric 3D model of the thin disc structures handling both the extinction and the stellar density simultaneously.Methods.We developed a Bayesian deconvolution method in two dimensions: extinction and distance. It uses a reference catalogue whose completeness information defines the selection function. It is designed so that any complementary information from other catalogues can be added. It has also been designed to be robust to outliers, which are frequent in crowded fields, and differential extinction. The prior information is designed to be minimal: only a reference H-R diagram. We derived for this an empirical H-R diagram of the thin disc usingGaiaDR2 data, but synthetic isochrone-based H-R diagrams can also be used.Results.We validated the method on simulations and real fields using 2MASS and UKIDSS data complemented byGaiaDR2 photometry and parallaxes. We detail the results of two test fields: a 2MASS field centred around the NGC 4815 open cluster, which shows an over-density of both extinction and stellar density at the cluster distance, and a UKIDSS field atl = 10° where we recover the position of the Galactic bar.

Unusual Galactic H ii Regions at the Intersection of the Central Molecular Zone and the Far Dust Lane

Abstract Sgr E is a massive star formation complex found toward the Galactic center that consists of numerous discrete, compact H ii regions. It is located at the intersection between the central molecular zone (CMZ) and the far dust lane of the Galactic bar, similar to “hot spots” seen in external galaxies. Compared with other Galactic star formation complexes, the Sgr E complex is unusual because its H ii regions all have similar radio luminosities and angular extents, and they are deficient in ∼10 μm emission from their photodissociation regions (PDRs). Our Green Bank Telescope radio recombination line observations increase the known membership of Sgr E to 19 H ii regions. There are 43 additional H ii region candidates in the direction of Sgr E, 26 of which are detected for the first time here using MeerKAT 1.28 data. Therefore, the true H ii region population of Sgr E may number >60. Using APEX SEDIGISM 13CO data we discover a 3.0 × 105 molecular cloud associated with Sgr E, but find few molecular or far-infrared concentrations at the locations of the Sgr E H ii regions. Comparison with simulations and an analysis of its radio continuum properties indicate that Sgr E formed upstream in the far dust lane of the Galactic bar a few million years ago and will overshoot the CMZ, crashing into the near dust lane. We propose that the unusual infrared properties of the Sgr E H ii regions are caused by their orbits about the Galactic center, which have possibly stripped their PDRs.